Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-07-11
WOODEN HANDS FEET
SAM BREWER GETS ALONG WELL
WITH THEM.

Misfortane of . Half-Breed-Entirely
to blame Himself-Injured While
Fleeing from the Police--Out All Night
in u Snow stcrm-His Limbs Frozen
on.
FoRT SMITH, July 9.-Sam Brewer, q
half-breed Cherokee, who has both legs
off above the ankles, his right arm off
above the elbow and his left arm off about
4 inches below the elbow, is in attendance
1t the United States court to answer three
indictments of assault with intent to. kill,
his weapon Of warfare being a Winchester
rifle. In one Of the cases he acknowl-
edges that he shot a man named Phipps,
n killed the horse he was riding, but
claims he did it in self-defense. The
other two cases he declines to discuss,
saying they will have to prove them on
him.
Brewer is certainly q remarkable man.
He is 80 years old, and has a wife and
two children. He resides on a farm near
Fort Gibson, his principal occupation be-
ing that of a cowboy. He is an expert
horseman and a good shot with a rifle.
In handling a Winchester, he works the
hammer n trigger with the stump of
his left arm, while with the stump of his
right arm he manipulates the lever that
throws the cartridges into the barrel of
the gun from the magazine and the
empty shells out. In eating he fastens
q fork to the stump of his left arm and
thus feeds himself. He writes a very
good hand by fastening a pen to the
stump of his right arm. His greatest in
convenience is in dressing and undress-
ing himself. This he can not do without
assistance. He lost his limbs about ten
years age, and his case presents one of the
most remarkable instances of human en-
durance imaginable.
He got on a spree one night at Fort
Gibson, and the police tried to arrest him.
Being on a fleet horse he made a good
run and got out of town, but in doing SO
was shot through the left hand by the
officers. The night was bitter cold and
very dark, and as he went flying out to-
ward his HON his horse ran against a tele-
graph pole, and Brewers head coming in
contact with 1T was knocked senseless.
While lying unconscious by the roadside a
snowstorm came up, n hours after,
when he regained consciousness, his feet
and hands were SO badly frozen that he
could not move. There he remained
until morning, when he was discovered
and conveyed to his home. His limbs
had to be amputated to save his life, and
for a period OF nine months he was con-
fined to his room. He then took to horse
back riding, and has since enjoyed good
health.
He has a pair Of wooden feet and
ankles, the top of the latter being pad
l 1aI nx,nr tl.1nt a. H.. -. = 49,
legged boots made to order and fastened
to the feet by means of tacks. He draws
the boot-legs over the stumps of his legs
and straps them just below the knee, and
Is thus enabled to hobble around without
the aid of crutch or cane. He can mount
and dismount from q horse with appar.
emily as much ease as a man with his
natural limbs. His life for the past IA
years smacks of the desperate, and he is
classed as n of the most dangerous men
in his seatien. Notwithstanding the ter
rible condition to which he was brought
by oyerindulgence in strong drink he CON
tinues to use 1t to excess whenever ocea-
sion offers.
He appears to be happy and contented
with his hard lot, never complaining OF
lamenting over it. He has a fair educa-
ton, n is an interesting and pleasant
man to converse with when sober, bat is
extremely disagreeable when drunk.
notwithstanding his condition and his
faults, he. manages to make a fair support
for his family, and apparently thinks
much of them. His approaching trials
on the grave charges of assault with
intent to kill do not seem to worry him
in the least. Taken as a whole he is. GER
tafnly q most remarkable specimen OF
humanity.